Defy the Fungi

“The Last of Us,” an award-winning post-apocalyptic action video game, was recently adapted into a Home Box Office (HBO) show which premiered on Jan. 15, with episodes releasing weekly until March 12. So far, the show has been highly successful with a critic rating of 97% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and is even considered by critics as one of the best video game adaptations ever. There are nine episodes in season one, covering the events from the first part of the video game. In both the show and game, much of the world is infected with Cordyceps fungus, which possesses the brain of its host and turns people into zombie-like creatures called runners, which transform into stalkers, then clickers and even more grotesque forms as the infection progresses. The series follows Joel, a weary man haunted by the death of his daughter, and his mission to bring a 14-year-old girl named Ellie westward across a post-apocalyptic U.S.; he does so because Ellie is immune to Cordyceps and therefore provides a potential key to the cure. Freshman Emmy Kang is intrigued by the horror, fast-paced action and unbreakable bonds featured in the show. 

“People who like adventurous shows will find ‘The Last of Us’ very interesting because it is tense and keeps [viewers] at the edge of [their] seat,” Kang said. “There is a lot of action at all times, [and no one] will get bored watching it. The emotional [bonds] between the characters make the show [feel] very real.”

In the adaptation of “The Last of Us,” many changes were made to smoothly translate the game to television. These changes have been well-received by most, especially considering how video game adaptations are often executed poorly, resulting in a controversial phenomenon dubbed the “video game adaptation curse” by film watchers. The reason this show in particular is exempt from this curse may be due to the nature of its source material. The video game is very cinematic already, similar to a television show, giving it an advantage compared to other games that get adapted. Additionally, people play “The Last of Us” game for the storyline which translates well to a show, while the appeal of other games lies in the mechanics and exploration (Inverse). Although “The Last of Us” was already very suitable for a television adaptation, certain details were still tweaked. One of the most noticeable changes was the shift in the time frame between the outbreak of the apocalypse and the present events. In the game, the outbreak occurs in 2013, the year the game came out, and the main events take place in 2033. In the show, however, the outbreak starts in 2003 and a time skip brings the audience to 2023. This decision was made by the creative director of the game and current co-director of the show, Neil Druckman, to make the outbreak feel more timely and immediate, as if occurring in a parallel reality. 

Another creative liberty the show took was tweaking the origin of the Cordyceps outbreak. In the game it seemed to appear from nowhere, but the show stresses that it was a dismissed threat since the 1960s, a warning of the severity of what may happen if environmental events like climate change are ignored. The show also altered the way in which Cordyceps spreads: in the game, it is transmitted through spores released by the infected, which is why the characters sometimes wear gas masks. For the adaptation, the creators of the show decided that they did not want the cast to wear gas masks throughout the show, so they revisited the original concept art of the game. This led them to the idea for infection to spread through tendrils, root-like networks which the infected are interconnected by; if stepped on, these tendrils exchange information about the location of the characters (Eurogamer). Junior Mark Sherry appreciates how the changes made to the show create a refreshing viewing experience for fans of the game.

“The overall tone [between the game and the show] is similar,” Sherry said. “The [producers] changed some plot points [like] Pittsburgh [being] replaced by Kansas City, Bill’s character arc and the removal of spores. The fans I talked to like the changes because it keeps [the show] from being repetitive and [they] were still handled respectfully. [In particular], I really like episode three, [because] it was entirely different from the game. It would not have worked in the game because of the lack of action scenes, but did really well in the show.”

What draws people to “The Last of Us” is the immersive story and strong emotional responses it evokes from the audience. The highly praised third episode of the show deviated from the plot of the game by showcasing the tear-jerking love story between Bill and Frank, two side characters, which was only implied in the game. It was an unexpected move to devote an episode to flesh out the relationship of minor characters, but it proved to blend well with the overarching theme of the show. Bill, an old acquaintance of Joel, fell in love with Frank and they lived for many years together. In the end, they take their lives together because Frank is suffering from terminal illness and Bill is scared of living without him. This episode tugs on viewers’ heartstrings because even though the characters are under completely different circumstances than the audience, people can still relate to the feeling of fear that comes with love. It also delivers the message that life without love is merely surviving, and that love can be found with anyone, under the most unexpected circumstances (IGN). Bill teaches this through a letter he leaves behind for Joel, in which he gives the advice that it is worth fighting for the one person worth saving. As Joel hardened himself against the world after the loss of his daughter, the audience witnesses as he begins to take this advice and soften towards Ellie in the later episodes, but not without difficulties and arguments on both ends. Junior Amani Ghazy loves how the show handles relationships and humanity, specifically Joel and Ellie’s. 

“[Joel and Ellie’s] dynamic is special because it is comforting,” Ghazy said. “They have a father-daughter relationship that neither of them want to admit, but it is extremely apparent and identifiable. I love the way Joel will do anything to protect her, and Ellie will do anything to protect him. I [also] like how the show is not afraid to reveal the truths about humanity even if they are ugly.”